Cash and Food Benefits for Immigrant-Headed Households Basic Benefits Training, March 2018 Patricia Baker, Mass. Law Reform Institute Naomi Meyer, Greater Boston Legal Services Key Nutrition Benefits Has immigrant eligibility restrictions: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) No immigrant eligibility restrictions: Women, Infant and Children (WIC) National School Lunch Program (lunch & breakfast) The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) & MEFAP (state funding) food banks/pantries 2
Key Cash Assistance Benefits Have immigrant eligibility restrictions: Transitional Assistance for Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 3 Right to Apply Can apply on first visit to DTA. If eligible, benefits go back to application date. If time is short or wrong office, file Request for Assistance. 4
Language Access: Right to An Interpreter DTA must provide free interpreter if client is LEP. Clients can self-identify as LEP. See DTA s Language Access Plan: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dta/dta-language-access-2016.pdf 5 Language Access: Protection from Disqualification DTA must not disqualify LEP recipients if not given penalty warnings in their language Could still be overpayment 6
Common Myth #1 You can t apply for benefits if you re undocumented. Reality: Can apply on behalf of eligible children. Can opt out of benefits household and not provide SSN or immigrant status. DTA form Supplement A Income and assets still counted. 7 8
Common Myth #2 DTA might report undocumented people to Homeland Security. Reality: NO, IT DOESN T! Very rare exception if an immigrant: 1) Applies for benefits for self and 2) Shows DTA a final order of deportation 9 Common Myth #3 You can t get TAFDC or SNAP benefits until you ve had a green card for 5 years. Reality: NOT ALWAYS! Exceptions depend on: - prior status - age (SNAP) - date entered U.S. - receipt of disability benefits (SNAP) - domestic violence (TAFDC) - work history (SNAP) - active duty/veteran status 10
Qualified and Eligible for TAFDC, SNAP & SSI* right away Refugees & asylees Granted Withholding of Deportation or Removal Cuban/Haitian Entrants Amerasian Immigrants Members of Hmong/other Highland Laotian tribes Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants Victims of Trafficking (not always qualified ) LPRs who adjusted from one of these statuses *SSI only for 7 years after status granted 11 Status before adjustment? 12
Other qualified non-citizens Other LPRs Battered noncitizens Granted parole for > 1 year Eligible for EAEDC 13 Cuban-Haitian Entrants National of Cuba or Haiti who has a special status granted to nationals of these countries: Pending asylum application Paroled into U.S. on/after 10/10/80 (unless only for criminal prosecution) In removal/deportation proceedings, but no final, enforceable order Order of supervision 14
Example #1 Juana Ramos is 40 years old and has two children, born in the U.S. Juana is from El Salvador and has Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Does she qualify for TAFDC? Do her kids? Do they qualify for SNAP? 15 Example #2 Marie Baptiste is 38 years old and comes from Haiti. She has Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and works part time. Can she get SNAP? You learn that Marie entered the U.S. after the January 2014 earthquake and was granted Humanitarian Parole. How does that change her eligibility? 16
Age (SNAP) Qualified noncitizens under 18 are eligible. 17 Date entered the U.S. (SNAP, TAFDC, SSI) Various noncitizens are grandfathered into these programs if living in the U.S. since before 8/22/96 See eligibility chart for details 18
Receipt of disability benefits (SNAP) Qualified noncitizens are eligible if Getting a disability-based benefit (i.e., EAEDC or MassHealth) and Determined disabled under SSI criteria Seniors can use SNAP Disability Verification for Elderly Noncitizens form 19 Domestic Violence (TAFDC) If meets criteria for Domestic abuse and Immigration status/pending status Then considered battered noncitizen Qualified Immediately eligible for TAFDC 20
Battered Non-Citizens Criteria Regarding Abuse Battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the U.S. Abuse committed by spouse, parent, or member of spouse/parent s family Lived with abuser at the time No longer lives with abuser 21 Battered Non-Citizens Criteria Regarding Immigration Status Pending or approved petition for: LPR through an I-130 petition by a spouse or parent who is a U.S. citizen or LPR. LPR through a VAWA self-petition. Suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal under VAWA. 22
Example #3 Thelma O Neill and her 7 year old son fled her husband, a U.S. citizen, due to domestic violence. She filed a VAWA petition and got a Notice of Prima Facie Determination 6 months ago. Is Ms. O Neill eligible for SNAP? Is her son eligible for SNAP? Is the family eligible for TAFDC? 23 Work history (SNAP & SSI) 40 quarters of SSA work history Earned by noncitizen, spouse during marriage, parent before noncitizen turned 18 No credit for quarters since 1997 during which got federal means-tested benefit Effect on eligibility for LPRs Eligible for SNAP Eligible for SSI after 5 years in LPR status Ends sponsor deeming & support obligation (SSI) 24
Example #4 Mrs. Pappas, age 67, came from Greece 6 years ago with a green card via a relative petition (by her U.S. citizen husband). She asks you about getting SSI or EAEDC cash assistance. Can she get EAEDC? What do you need to ask her to figure out if she qualifies for SSI? 25 Example #5 Samantha is 52. She came to the U.S. as a visiting scholar in 1997 and stayed. She became an LPR 2 years ago. She recently suffered a stroke and is now disabled. She has run out of assets and income. Is she a qualified alien? What cash or SNAP benefits is she eligible to receive? 26
PRUCOL Permanently Residing Under Color of Law : DHS aware of presence in U.S. No effort underway to deport Examples Asylum Applicants U visa holders and applicants TPS beneficiaries and applicants DACA beneficiaries and applicants 27 PRUCOL Eligible for EAEDC Not eligible for TAFDC but if TAFDC for children, DTA will authorize child care Not eligible for SNAP but better SNAP calculation for eligible household members 28
For more information Mass Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition: www.miracoalition.org Mass Legal Services website: www.masslegalservices.org Mass Law Reform Institute: www.mlri.org National Immigration Law Center www.nilc.org Greater Boston Legal Service www.gbls.org 29